The holidays are around the corner. Time to plan ahead and order your child’s very own personalized messagefromsanta.ca letter.
Do your kids mail out a letter to santa every year? I know you can send a letter to Santa via Canada post and then they send out a very generic letter to everyone. The same letter over and over again. Well have I got the next best thing for you.
Check out messagefromsanta.ca. Order your child’s personalized letter from Santa. Right down to the gifts they want and everything. There are many package offerings available with just the letter or some extra added items that will make your child feel special.
You can choose the sample letter or you can send in your own version. You can choose which design you would like and which package. Then come December, your child will receive a beautiful package in the mail. How cool is that??
The prices start at 12.99$ and go up to 34.99$ with so many choices to choose from. From personalized items to magic reindeer food, your child will be amazed!
Check out my video review on these super cool products. All created by a local mom entrepreneur. Support Local businesses and sign up today for your letter to santa!
You can visit them on Facebook or directly on their site to order.
We have teamed up with MonGym West Island and Gamerz Cafe to bring a much needed Fall Food drive. They are in desperate need to re-stock their shelves. Some major items are at the top of the list:
- Peanut Butter
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Canned Fish such as Tuna and Salmon
Every month On Rock Community Services, has 275 families they provide food baskets for. The need for food is growing everyday. We need your help.
Calling on all the west islanders for your help more than ever now.
This food drive will run until November 15th. Keep those canned goods coming.
Start collecting your toys for our 4th Annual toy drive which will kick off November 17th. More details to follow.
The Holiday Train Schedule is out!
Have you ever taken the family to see the CP Holiday Train? It’s a great way to kick off the Holiday season! As packed and crazy it can be, it’s so much fun. One year it even snowed which made it more magical. If crowds are not your thing, you can stand at one of the train stations along the 20 like Pointe Claire, Cedar park and you can watch the train drive by lit up. By not being at the beaconsfield train station, you miss out on the entertainment, food donations and much more.
The CP Holiday Train program launched in 1999 and has since raised more than C$14.5 million and gathered 4.3 million pounds of food for communities along CP’s routes in Canada and the United States.
Beginning in Montreal on November 25 and 27 respectively, two trains will make the festive journey, travelling through both the U.S. and Canada to bring holiday cheer to 164 communities along CP’s network. Each event is free, with CP encouraging attendees to open their cupboards and wallets to help address hunger needs in their communities. Local food banks will be accepting donations at each stop to ensure those less fortunate have enough healthy food this holiday season.
“On behalf of the 13,000-strong family here at CP, it is my great pleasure to kick-off the 20th tour of the CP Holiday Train,” said Keith Creel, CP’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “It is a privilege for CP to be able to run a program like this and connect with so many communities across our network. I want to personally thank each individual who has made a donation over the past 20 years – your collective efforts have made the Holiday Train a huge success for two decades.”
The Canadian Train will depart Montreal on November 27. Kelly Prescott will join three time Juno award-winner Terri Clark and Sierra Noble to spread holiday cheer through Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan to Calgary, Alta. Sam Roberts Band will then carry on through Alberta and British Columbia to the final show of the 2018 CP Holiday Train tour in Port Coquitlam on Dec. 18.
For more info on the full schedule, check out their website.
The Holiday Trail will be arriving at Beaconsfield Train Station on Tuesday November 27th at 8pm. This year’s entertainment will be Terri Clark, Sierra Noble and Kelly Prescott which starts at 8:15. Arrive early as parking is very limited.
The onboard entertainment will be from 8:15 to 8:45pm. Even Santa makes a visit!
Join the EVENT on Facebook to be reminded about this great event!
Valois Train Station in Pointe Claire is also hosting a party. Hang out there and watch the train go by. Have some hot Cocoa and enjoy the local businesses.
Have you heard of Pip & Vix Art kits for kids? Well if you haven’t- you need to know all about these amazing kits.
Spark your child’s imagination with an innovative art box from Pip & Vix Art Kits – delivered monthly! This 100% Canadian company, started by two Moms, offers subscription based art kits for kids ages 3-13+ years, designed to be fun & educational
Every month a new kit is available to stimulate your child’s creativity, while introducing different artists, techniques and art genres. The art boxes come fully loaded with tons of high quality art supplies, a lesson guide with step-by-step instructions & colour photos, and fun art facts – delivered straight to your door.
Recently, I received an art kit for my 11yr old daughter. We sat down together to work on the kit. I must say it’s pretty amazing. Opening the box and having every single item at your fingertips is wonderful! My daughter absolutely loved it. It sparked some creativity and she was able to create the craft in her own way.
Check out our Video review to see how we enjoyed crafting together and how easy and fun it was.
You need to head over to their website and check out all the different art kits available in all ages. Start your christmas shopping today!
Dear Parents,
As the principal of the only German school in Canada educating children from all nationalities from kindergarten to high school, I am often asked: “Why a German school in Canada?”
Speaking German is no admission requirement until the age of 10 years
People are astonished when I reply that amongst our 300 students 60% do not speak German at home. Upon admission to mini-kindergarten at the age of 2 ½ years or later, most of our students know little or no German at all.
Why on earth should, for example, a Chinese or Mexican child living in Canada who has neither German parents nor ever lived in Germany, go through the hassle of learning the – admittedly sometimes complicated- German language? I then explain that our kindergarten students integrate normal German Classes and learn the language at an early age, not even noticing the excellent work their brain is performing. We admit students starting at the age of seven until age of 10/11 with little or no knowledge of German to our so-called Immersion Class, provided they are academically strong. After one year, these students will then easily integrate into the normal German curriculum (by the way, with only 10-15 students per class in the elementary school!) and eventually finish their schooling alongside with their German-native friends with the German International Baccalaureate.
The brain is like a sponge – multilingual education makes children smarter and more empathetic
Often, this leads to a stimulating conversation about multilingual education and the broadening of horizons, which goes along with multilingualism and multicultural education – not only language wise but also intellectually, culturally and socially. And no worries about not being able to help your child with German homework: In Elementary School, homework in German is done at school. We have after class study groups and a German course for parents to learn German at the same time as their child.
Finally, our conversation touches on the benefits of German culture and science. Then, I cannot help but talk about my favorite subject: our state-of-the-art science laboratory and the science and math contests, our students take part in every year with remarkable success – Leading me to a small side remark about our diverse theater, music, arts and sports after-school activities. This usually brings us to talk about the world-famous quality seal “Made in Germany”, the fact that German is the most widely spoken mother-tongue language in Europe and the European Union being the largest common market in
the world. That’s why the German Government promotes German Language learning with a network of 140 German Schools in 72 countries, teaching more than 82,000 students outside of Germany.
International School – Three Languages - Two degrees
I then explain that AvH students receive a high school teaching according to German quality standards and, at the same time, an international education. In addition to German, our students learn English and French fluently. At the age of 16/17 they must make a though decision: Do they leave their friends who they grew up with to integrate CEGEP or do they stay at AvH for another year? After Grade 11 they have their Quebec High School Diploma in hand, allowing them to integrate a CEGEP and continue their studies in the Canadian educational system. Their German Language Diploma obtained at AvH will allow them to enroll at German Universities without any language test. Alternatively, and this is what most of our students decide to do, they can continue one more year at AvH and will then have the German International Abitur in hand, allowing them to directly enroll at Universities worldwide. No matter what path they choose, our AvH students are prepared to study at the most prestigious universities.
Starting small, reaching out for big
In a nutshell, our school is all about starting small, reaching out for big. Our students start at AvH at a very young age (Mini-K at 2 ½ years). Our school is like a village school in former times, beautifully located in the residential town of Baie D’Urfé in the West Island Area of Montreal: With a comfortable teacher-Student ratio of 1:12 everybody knows each other. We have one class per grade and our students often stay together for over a decade. However, our program is internationally oriented with a special focus on languages and science. Our Students regularly undertake class trips in Canada and US and to foreign countries, participate in international events and take part in all sorts of local, nation-wide and world-wide competitions. When they come out of AvH they have strong personalities, sure of themselves without being arrogant, yet aware of their strengths and capacities to excel, with a strong sensibility for social issues armed with several Diplomas, mastering at least three languages (German, English and French). Academically at the top of their game, they are prepared to integrate the most famous universities in the world and embrace the world with all the wonders and challenges life might bring to them in the future.
Limited places available in pre-K (age 3-5) and Kindergarten – Waiting List for Mini-K ( age 2.5-3)
I hope to have won your interest in our school and invite you to fill out the contact form on our webpage so one of our school representatives can contact you to discuss how your child could become a member of our AvH Family.
Sincerely yours,
Sincerely yours,
Thomas Linse
School Principal
